ECT Look at a Parable

[rainee]

Well, first go look up the definition of a parable.

Does the definition refer you toward the word parabola rather than toward the word parallel?

The word in math means something else so that is actually misleading - but at one time the word "parabola" came from the word "parable.

That means "parabola" can't tell you what a parable is because "parable" is what was in mind when the word "parabola" was first created and used.

However, "parallel" does help. It goes along side. It never touches but it goes along side. Now if you see spiritual worlds you don't need parables
but if you are human then a parable is communicating something we can't see by saying something that goes along side that invisible truth
for, perhaps, a short ways. Maybe a very short way, I don't know cuz - well - I'm human and have no idea how far it can go. But all who believe and have studied parables have agreed - they only are intended to go part of the way.

So go back to "parabola" the "mirror-symmetrical curve" - and see.
One side of the curve mirrors the other side. So there ya go. Its sides go along mirroring each other all the way around. Nice.

But what about parables which is where that whole idea came from?
The Lord would often speak in parables...

Matthew 13:10-11

10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

Now here is the interesting thing: The disciples did not therefore understand the parables just because He said what He did, no.
He then explained the parables so they could know.

And that is how I think it has been for 2000 years or so.

I think some get little bits and pass them around and then down and generation after generation we build on what has been given.

Also inherent in the entire idea is that there is to be growth:
Matthew 13:12

12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

Which means two things that I can think of: A) You can't grow if you know it all, and B) No one knows it all.

There is another problem that I think is inherent: The Word is alive and active. It can mean perhaps more than one thing during different times.

Deuteronomy 25:4 is one example. I believe it means what it says at appropriate times.
But I also believe 1 Corinthians 9:9-10 is to be taken seriously.

Anybody want to correct or add to this before I go on?

I would appreciate it if you want to say some something - if you did!

 

[jamie]

I agree that a parable is parabolic, not literal.

 

[resodko]

parabulls

Spoiler

 

[jamie]

I suppose you wear a parashoes.

 

[Truster]

Parable is like a parachute. It brings down from above that which is from below.

 

[rainee]

Ok folks.

Years ago an excellent teacher from Covenant College, Tennessee came to a large and old Presbyterian Church in a city about an hour from the town in Florida where I lived.

I came with a small group to hear him and sat in a rather large classroom full of
interested listeners.

And of all the things he said, he said among them that because the Gospel of Luke in Chapter 15 started out like this:

Luke 15:1-2

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

It could be seen that the parable from the Lord Jesus that followed about the Lost Sheep Luke 15:3-7 was directed toward or because of the attitude showing in Pharisees and the teachers of the law:

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Then Professor K said that the Parable of the Lost Coin in Luke 15:8-10 was told right after with no break or pause and therefore told a part of His same message:

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

And then Dr K added the parable of the Lost Son begins like this in Luke 15:11

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.

And this meant that yet again The Lord was still speaking to, and/or because of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who had muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So his speaking finished with me understanding all three parables had been sparked because of what was said by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law and all three parables were together directed toward their attitude and mutterings.

And after Dr K finished we all smiled at each other and thanked him and thanked the men and ladies of the church who had invited him to speak and us to listen.

And once we were outside I looked up at the night sky clear and sparkling, excited and wanting to burst and did not realize that not everyone there heard what I heard.

Because the parable of the Lost Son is not just about a prodigal son but also about an Older One. It is about this isolated, lost, "way off in some field" feeling,
seemingly forgotten, unhappy son.

If the Pharisees and the teachers of the law had ears to ear they would have heard a heart stopping with mystery and unexplained joy type message.
But, alas, most if not all of them did not have the ears to hear.

However, eleven disciples surely did, though perhaps they could not understand it because later they would say Acts 1:6

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

And now some 2000 years later give or take, very few may wonder what Jewish Apostles hoped for or believed. And the letter to the Hebrews may become a most
quoted reference for non Jewish people who are believers.

But I believe the parable is declaring something only those who live by faith should hear - and it will sound different now then it did before.. Because now
the three parables aren't to Jewish hard-hearted religious people, or the Jewish chosen frozen, or the Jewish religiously confident people. And the prodigal son has changed too, imho.

 

[rainee]

parabulls

Spoiler

Sir, those you show have no stones, I fear.

Spoiler

 

[rainee]

Parable is like a parachute. It brings down from above that which is from below.

Hi Truster,

you know this is not right, right?
A parachute is not like a parable.
And I can't get the logic of bringing down from above that which is from below?

 

[rainee]

Oh - I see now Res, they may be young but they do have stones.
Sorry!

When I was little I got to see up close a penned red and white Hereford bull at an action.

His head was huge I didn't even recognize him as a cow and asked what he was.
But his beady eye was on me while I looked at him and i thought he would kill me if he could and probably eat me!
Something like this:

Spoiler

 

[Truster]

Hi Truster,

you know this is not right, right?
A parachute is not like a parable.
And I can't get the logic of bringing down from above that which is from below?

You obviously haven't got a clue what a parable is and how it represents that which is from above by taking the things which are from earth.

PS or rather the person you're taking the doctrine from didn't have a clue.

 

[Nang]

Oh - I see now Res, they may be young but they do have stones.
Sorry!

When I was little I got to see up close a penned red and white Hereford bull at an action.

His head was huge I didn't even recognize him as a cow and asked what he was.
But his beady eye was on me while I looked at him and i thought he would kill me if he could and probably eat me!
Something like this:

Spoiler

We used to breed Herefords, and believe me, the Hereford bulls ran the ranch. They are to be respected and kept at great distance!

I am being blessed by these posts, rainee.

You must do more sharing like this about the parables, for it is needed.

Nang

 

[Nang]

Hi Truster,

you know this is not right, right?
A parachute is not like a parable.
And I can't get the logic of bringing down from above that which is from below?

Parables are spiritual truths expressed using earthly metaphors. I think that is what Truster was trying to get across.

 

[rainee]

You obviously haven't got a clue what a parable is and how it represents that which is from above by taking the things which are from earth.

PS or rather the person you're taking the doctrine from didn't have a clue.

Truster, I have tried to bring you closer as a person I accept and can encourage for no one is perfect. But you are making me mad right now, yes?

Parachute came from French which came from Italian which meant to "guard against" (para) "fall" (chute)

It is not an old word. Why give me a headache?

And doctrine actually requires a solid ground of study not a knee jerk reaction.

So yes - that is neat and valuable what you said: "a parable is and how it represents that which is from above by taking the things which are from earth."
but meaningful and poetic cannot replace unemotional definition.

 

[oatmeal]

Well, first go look up the definition of a parable.

Does the definition refer you toward the word parabola rather than toward the word parallel?

The word in math means something else so that is actually misleading - but at one time the word "parabola" came from the word "parable.

That means "parabola" can't tell you what a parable is because "parable" is what was in mind when the word "parabola" was first created and used.

However, "parallel" does help. It goes along side. It never touches but it goes along side. Now if you see spiritual worlds you don't need parables
but if you are human then a parable is communicating something we can't see by saying something that goes along side that invisible truth
for, perhaps, a short ways. Maybe a very short way, I don't know cuz - well - I'm human and have no idea how far it can go. But all who believe and have studied parables have agreed - they only are intended to go part of the way.

So go back to "parabola" the "mirror-symmetrical curve" - and see.
One side of the curve mirrors the other side. So there ya go. Its sides go along mirroring each other all the way around. Nice.

But what about parables which is where that whole idea came from?
The Lord would often speak in parables...

Matthew 13:10-11



Now here is the interesting thing: The disciples did not therefore understand the parables just because He said what He did, no.
He then explained the parables so they could know.

And that is how I think it has been for 2000 years or so.

I think some get little bits and pass them around and then down and generation after generation we build on what has been given.

Also inherent in the entire idea is that there is to be growth:
Matthew 13:12


Which means two things that I can think of: A) You can't grow if you know it all, and B) No one knows it all.

There is another problem that I think is inherent: The Word is alive and active. It can mean perhaps more than one thing during different times.

Deuteronomy 25:4 is one example. I believe it means what it says at appropriate times.
But I also believe 1 Corinthians 9:9-10 is to be taken seriously.

Anybody want to correct or add to this before I go on?

I would appreciate it if you want to say some something - if you did!

Parabola is made up of two Greek words.

Para - along side

and

bole - to throw, lay, put, etc.

together then, to lay on thing along side another.

 

[rainee]

I agree that a parable is parabolic, not literal.

But a parabola can be literal, right, Jamie?

 

[rainee]

We used to breed Herefords, and believe me, the Hereford bulls ran the ranch. They are to be respected and kept at great distance!

I am being blessed by these posts, rainee.

You must do more sharing like this about the parables, for it is needed.

Nang

Thank you, Nang, I value your comments, your knowledge and your encouragement!

Parables are spiritual truths expressed using earthly metaphors. I think that is what Truster was trying to get across.

Yes of course you are right.
I may have over reacted. :noway:

(Sorry Truster)

 

[andyc]

Yes. To latch onto the spiritual principles of the kingdom of God, is to grow in the Spirit. But to dismiss it is to lose everything.

 

[Town Heretic]

I once sought a second medical opinion just so I could be more familiar with a paradox. lain: See, that American Idol thread doesn't look like the same reach now, does it?

My summation: it's usually best to take parables laterally.

 

[musterion]

Parable is like a parachute. It brings down from above that which is from below.

That's not what Christ said. He said began to speak in parables to hide further truth from those who'd rejected what He already told them.

And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parable. And He said unto them, "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables."

All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke He not unto them.

But without a parable spoke He not unto them…

Christ's parables weren't intended to reveal deeper truth to those who heard them. They were intended to conceal it.

 

[rainee]

I once sought a second medical opinion just so I could be more familiar with a paradox. lain: See, that American Idol thread doesn't look like the same reach now, does it?

My summation: it's usually best to take parables laterally.

I was just going to say Oatmeal's post was testing for me - but I should have known not to say that cuz you could out do all.. sigh